Instep-arch supporter



1,626,725 May 1927 w. s. DUFFIELD IKSTEP ARCH SUPPORTER Fi led Dec. 4, 1925 INVENTUR.

Patented lVlay 3, 1927.

UN TED .Sj

A E IP 'INSTEP-ARCH surron'rnn.

'App1ication filed December This invention relates to supports to be used in shoes to supportbroken down instep arch-es, and my object is to provide a light, strong support which can be made in efl'ect a part of the shoe and which can be readily adjusted to suit the instep of the wearers foot.

I attain my object by means of ascrew for'variably flexing an arch member so that the height of the latter may be varied relative to the insole of the wearers shoe. The constructions are hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a shoe showing my devicetherein;

Fig. 2 a cross section of the same;

Fig. 3 a plan view of a modified form of my device; and Y Fig. 4 across sectional detail of the arch member shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawings like numerals of refer ence indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

1 is a flexible arch member formed of tempered leather which is curved transversely to follow the transverse contours of the wearers foot according to approved practice in the arch support art. The arch member is also curved longitudinally to follow the contours of an average instep arch of a wearer's foot. As hereinafter described, this curvature may be varied to suit the particular condition of the Wearers instep arch.

The member 1 is reduced in thickness from the middle towards each end l and its ends are skived and suitablysecured to an insole 2. It will be distinctly understood that the term insole means e-ither'a removable or fixed leather insole and that it includes a thin metallic plate adapted to be inserted in a shoe and rested on the insole or outer sole thereof. In practice the ends 1 are secured by rows of stitching 3 to a leather insole. The end stitches of each row are looped round the sides of the member to securely fasten the latter to the insole. A wearing plate 4 carried on the upper surface of the insole 2 is secured thereto by means of prongs 5 formed integral with the plate. f

To the underside of the arch member 1 is secured a nut 6 formed as a thin plate. This plate is provided with integral prongs 4, 1925. Serial No. 73,203.

7 adapted to be pressed into the arch mem her to secure it to the latter. A screw 8,

T j FFNTE f passed through a hole 9 formed in the member 1 and threadedthrough the nut 6, is adapted to engage the wearing plate l. As the screw is turnedin either direction the arch will be variably flexed so that its height then the diameter of the head of the screw.

This permits a socket wrench. or key to be inserted in the hole to adjust the screw. It is obvious that various lengthed screws may be used in adjusting-the device so that the screw head will not project beyond the upper surface of the arch member.

An insole lining 10 coversthe opening in the arch support and provides a smooth surface for the wearers foot.

To reinforce the leather archmember 1, I provide its underside with a very thin metal .supporting strip 11. This strip is suitabl secured to a plate 6 serving as a nut an extends laterally thereof to support the upwardly curved side or sides 1 of the member 1. v I

W hat'I claim is:

1. An instep arch support-er comprising an insole; a, Wearing plate carried on the upper surface of the insole ;-a leather flexible arch member secured atone end to the insole and convexly! curved longitudinally and concavely curved transversely at its middle portion; a nut carried on the underside of the said member; and a screw threaded through the nut and adapted to engage the wearing plate to flex the leather arch memher, the said arch member having an opening therethrough for the passage of the screw, the opening being of suflicient diameter to permit adjustment of the latterbya tool..

2. An instep arch supporter comprising an insole; a leather flexible arch member having its ends skived a-nd restlng on the insole and formed with an upwardly curved side; a transverse metal strip beneath the middle of the arch member for supporting the said curved side; a screw threaded through said metal strip; and a. wearing plate on the insole engageable by the screw to variably flex the arch member, which is secured at one end to the insole. Y

3.,An instep arch supporter comprising M/Q w em, archmember carried on an insole; a Wearing plate carried on the upper garage dftheinsole'g alettlifr flexible the insole secured at each end to the insole and formed With n pw r ly curved sid Y; .tran v e'metal V plate serving as a nut beneath the middle of the underside of the said member for supporting the said curved side; and a stray tlireacled throngh the plane nut and adapted to engage tliert'varing plate;

Signed at Hamilton, Canada, this firstz'day of Dec.;l1925. I

WILLIAM s. DUFFIELD. j 

